Disclaimer: This is not written with a heart of judgment, but rather defending the choices in our family.  I’m feeling the need to stand up for the parents’ right and responsibility to choose what their children watch.

I’ve gotten comments before from acquaintances and even people I don’t really know about the fact that my kids are easily scared of movies, and refuse to go to the theater.  In fact, when they saw a preview for Kung Fu Panda 2, Eli said, “I can’t wait til that comes out on DVD!”  They just can’t handle a giant black room with a screen so large that there’s nowhere else to look.  Honestly, they can’t even handle PG movies (it took the girls a while to be able to handle Tai Lung on Kung Fu Panda, but Eli loved the movie).  They’ve listened to three of the Narnia books, but the slaying of Aslan in the mind of a seven-year-old versus on a movie made by adults for adults looks drastically different.  These comments by people who don’t know my children sometimes make me question if my kids are too sensitive (I know, ridiculous).  But when I really get thinking about it, I would rather have it this way.  I know kids at our school who have seen all the latest super hero movies, and are seemingly not bothered by the violence and drama they see there.  But why?  Why is it necessary for a seven-year-old to see real-life super hero movies, when the cartoon ones are sufficiently entertaining?  Why do they need to know what it looks like when real people get shot or hit by a car?  I will leave my children naive to this as long as I possibly can.  Are they sensitive?  Yes.  Say it loud, say it proud.  My children are sensitive!

Now, TV.  My children have never seen an episode of iCarly, Hannah Montana, Zach and Cody (at least not in my home), and whatever other “tween” shows are on Disney and Nickelodeon after the preschool shows are on.  Whenever I’ve been subjected to them waiting for an oil change or at the doctor’s office, the formula is the same.  Some young kids are the stars, they have insufficient parental involvement, and the adults in the show are always less intelligent than the children.  Do I want my kids learning that they are smarter than their teachers and principals?  No.  What goes in is what comes out.  (True with adults too?  Hmm….)  Again, I’m not judging your choices here, I’m just asking parents to think about what their children are watching.  When Grace started Kindergarten, she came home begging me to watch High School Musical.  Awesome.  I told her no.  She cried and asked me why.  I told her she’s not in high school.  Why would I let a five-year-old watch a show about high schoolers?

And now for a ticked-off momma moment.  We rented Rango this weekend, which is rated PG.  In the first 30 minutes, Rango asked a Barbie doll, “Are those real?”, called himself a “lover”, and a frog yelled, “son of a”.  I’m embarrassed and ashamed to admit that I didn’t listen to the inner-promptings to shut it off.  Shortly after, the kids were scared when the bad guys showed up and I jumped at the opportunity to turn it off.  Please, please, please.  Pay attention to what your children watch.  If there’s something on there you wouldn’t want your children to say, then don’t let them watch it!  Littles are like sponges.  And tape recordings.  Sponge-like tape recordings.  And they push “play” at the worst times.  Who doesn’t have stories about that??

We have the power to say no to them.  We have the responsibility to monitor what goes in.

OK, I will now step down from my soapbox.  My kids are watching yet another episode of Sid the Science Kid.  That kid drives me insane, but he sings a song about how cool his mom is – yes, please!